AP PhotoGreen Bay's Greg Jennings misses a pass, which was intercepted by Detroit's Amari Spievey in the first half.

DETROIT -- Remember, this is the Detroit Lions.

Obviously, Green Bay's last pass at victory -- a long throw intended for Greg Jennings in the end zone on fourth-and-1 with 1:03 remaining -- wasn't necessarily a long shot, even if on most days in most NFL cities it certainly would be a low-percentage play.

Why not just get the first down, then have a few more chances at the end zone in a 7-3 game?

Well, this is Detroit, and it was the Lions. And it's not like the Packers don't usually snatch wins away from the Lions.

And it's not like the Lions don't find ways to let plays like that happen at the end of games they clearly should have won.

Who among you didn't wonder as that pass was on its way that another day of doom for Detroit was at hand?

Nathan Vasher, the Detroit cornerback, expected a pass might happen, but thought the Packers might throw it short to get the first down.

"I just knew I had man-to-man with Jennings," he said. "They probably liked the matchup for him to take me to the corner."

Aaron Rodgers, the star quarterback, had left late in the first half with a concussion, which was another switch from the norm. Isn't it usually the Lions who lose their quarterback in the middle of game?

"I probably should not have put him in that situation," McCarthy said of Flynn's final throw. "It's the defense we thought we were going to get there, and the matchup, we just didn't execute it."

Flynn said he rushed the throw because of Detroit's defensive line pressure.

"When the ball came off my hand I thought it came out real well," he said. "I thought it was going to be a good throw, but obviously it was a little bit over him. We had it. I just had to hit it."

But he didn't, and Detroit, hard up for wins as always it seems, had one.

It was fitting for the defense to be on the field, too.

Linebacker DeAndre Levy, noted the Lions have come down to needing one more stop or even one more play from the defense in a handful of games this season.

"But we couldn't get it," Levy said. "We got it this time. We were due."

So due.

The Packers had won 10 consecutive games against the Lions in all manner of ways.

Detroit defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, smiling in regard to that final pass, said after looking at statistics and film on the Packers offense, the defensive staff had big concerns.

"We didn't sleep this week," Cunningham said.

Levy said the last play was a credit to communication on the field, and simply making plays.

"You have a lot to worry about in that situation, but we executed the defense," Levy said. "We got pressure, which is what you have to do when they go for it like that."

Vasher said he felt really good when, after diving after the diving Jennings on the pass, he raised his head from the turf to see an official waving the incomplete sign like a safe call in baseball.

"That feels real good when they do their hands like that," he said.

The Lions were finally safe for a week from dealing with another loss.

That might be all they get from it, but they can hope, and their fans can hope, it means an improving defense for the future, a better chance at victory, the ability to finally finish a game with a smile.

"We made the play when we had to," Vasher said. "We held Green Bay to three points. That's great for us."